1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for creating and managing financial accounts. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems for using a prepaid financial account to pay for mobile services.
2. The Relevant Technology
Mobile telephone services are currently available to consumers in both pre-paid and post-paid modes. To receive post-paid mobile telephone services, consumers typically enter into an agreement with a wireless telephone services provider. Under a typical agreement with a wireless telephone services provider, a consumer pays a monthly fee in exchange for the ability to use a predetermined number of wireless telephone minutes and/or services on the network of the wireless telephone services provider. In the event that the consumer exceeds the predetermined number of minutes and/or services, penalty or per-minute charges are assessed and billed to the account of the consumer. Each month the consumer pays any penalty or per-minute fees that might have been incurred as well as the regular monthly fee.
While under a post-paid mobile telephone services agreement, consumers receive and pay monthly bills based on the number of minutes and/or services used for a certain month, under a pre-paid mobile telephone service agreement, consumers pre-pay an amount to load a mobile telephone with minutes and/or services. When the amount is depleted, the mobile telephone ceases to function until the pre-aid account receives funds and the minutes and/or services of the telephone are reloaded. Examples of pre-paid mobile telephone services include POSA (Point of Sale Activation) and PIN delivery systems.
Although consumers can select either post-paid or pre-paid mobile services, consumer flexibility with regard to choice of mobile service providers and payment of mobile services is limited. Both post-paid and pre-paid mobile telephone services are available to consumers primarily through mobile telephone service providers offering mobile telephone services exclusively. In particular, consumers have limited flexibility with regard to systems and methods for paying for and using minutes and/or services on mobile telephones.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.